Buddhist Relief Mission provides assistance and supplies to hospitals and to orphanages, funds schools, provides emergency relief, and offers aid to Burmese refugees fleeing from a brutal dictatorship into India. The charity also helps to rehabilitate prisoners in the U.S. who want to practice Buddhism in prison and heal their minds.http://www.brelief.org/

"The serene and peaceful mind is the true epitome of human achievement."-- Ajahn Chah, Living Dhamma

"To reach beyond fear and danger we must sharpen and widen our vision. We have to pierce through the deceptions that lull us into a comfortable complacency, to take a straight look down into the depths of our existence, without turning away uneasily or running after distractions." -- Bhikkhu Bodhi

What's the difference between Buddhist charities and non Buddhist charities...?

Good question. Mostly no difference ~ maybe just in focus. Some international charities may not be interested in, say, making Dhamma Books available free of charge, or providing dana for the support of monks.

with mettaChris

---The trouble is that you think you have time------Worry is the Interest, paid in advance, on a debt you may never owe------It's not what happens to you in life that is important ~ it's what you do with it ---

Personally, i would like to give to charities, especially those that deal with hunger and other relief efforts that:

1. Don't involve the killing of animals.2. Don't require people to listen to religious doctrines (or convert) in order to receive aid. I heard conservative Christians talk about using the Haiti earthquake to further their own agenda.

If a charity doesn't use a disaster to further its own religious agenda, i could give to it. How are the ones listed in previous posts on these two points?

My avatar is one of many calligraphies painted by my teacher. Mitra Bishop, Roshi. She has them for sale to try to raise money for her building project. Also, if you purchase books on Amazon, you can use Amazon Smile and put in Mountain Gate (In Ojo Sarco, NM) and a small % will go to the monastery.

Thanks, Tex. It is relevant but it isn't the one I'm thinking of. I just looked through it again because of Sattva's question, because I remember someone posting a link to a site which assessed the effectiveness of various charities, and that isn't in the thread you found.It's still a mystery - sorry, Sattva!

What's the difference between Buddhist charities and non Buddhist charities...?

Good question. Mostly no difference ~ maybe just in focus. Some international charities may not be interested in, say, making Dhamma Books available free of charge, or providing dana for the support of monks.

with mettaChris

Thank you, Chris.

Meritable!

But where would the money for printing the books and feeding the monks come from?

Transparency here would be important for the donator I feel. We hear so often that donated money doesn't arrive where it was supposed to go.

It's interesting for me, because I am at present looking for a rain forest organisation, I may have found one, but need to find out more.

If it is of interest to anyone, I run Dhamma Aid Cambodia http://www.parami.org/dhammaaidcambodia/. We are not a registered charity...It has been a private project funded by friends and family. If you are not uncomfortable with that, donations are welcome.